


The Heart that Bleeds in White

by Bibliophallic



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 04:53:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12697776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bibliophallic/pseuds/Bibliophallic
Summary: It's post epilogue, and Nepeta has outgrown her crush and moved on... only for Karkat to realize his emotions for her "transcend quadrants."Unfortunately, he is too chickenshit to ever act on it, until one day they're in a crisis situation, because he did something stupid, and she saved his ass like always.Now he's just nursing her back to life.





	The Heart that Bleeds in White

"What a goddamned waste...." you mutter to no one in particular, bitter reflection pulling at your soul.. daring you to join your past self in the void.

It's been several years since the game ended. Or has it? Decades? You don't even know. It makes no difference to you anyway. You shuffle awkwardly under the weight of your sins. The wind and snow don't seem to be letting up. Epilogue, reboots, hiatuses, scratches, they're all the same. Life just keeps going on for you and yours. So much has changed, and so soon. The world, the people, even yourself. You can feel yourself freezing. Maybe it's time to let her go?

No. You couldn't do that. Sure; it might be easier to find shelter without her death on your conscience, but what kind of a life could you even live in leaving her behind? You will not let her die a second time.  
Though once you held the highest regard for another, you can't even bear to look at her. She hates you. You know it. Not only have you lost sight of the only relationship you cherished, but you might have lost her forever now... To Nepeta.

Oh, Nepeta. What you would give to have her stand by your side at this hour. All those years of blowing her off, and taking her for granted-- no wonder she went awol. No wonder she went on a rampage; seducing everyone you cared about to turn against you, exposing all your sins to the madrigogs of divined light. You drag the bloodied torso of her remains over what seems like the millionth snow-covered hill; taking care not to jostle her unnecessarily.. She's lost enough blood as it is.

It's going to be dark soon. You've been walking for hours, and you're desperately lost. You have to.. You just have to keep moving. Your fingers clutch at her as eagerly as if it were your own heart you were holding.

"J--j-just a-- bb-bit f-f-f--furth-th-ther," you plead, falling to your knees. "I just..."  
You're crawling now, trying with everything in your being to move just a BIT further. Your eyes are heavy. You're so tired, maybe you should rest for a few minutes? Maybe it's about time you stopped fighting it and... Just as your eyelids are about to close, you catch sight of a distant cave.

* * *

 

Weeks later, An oliveblood wakes up in a feverish sweat. The wind is cutting at the opening to their cave; the sharp biting gusts of furious tundra threatening to extinguish their paltry fireplace as the hurricane drones on for what they can only assume must be the third week now.

Nepeta still can't move too well, after the rabid Rhinocerous lusus barrelled into her side; effectively goring her on its horns, breaking a few of her ribs, and sending both of them reeling into the frozen wilderness for shelter.

He dragged her for miles to find this cave, and in the weeks since has been providing for her in every way... changing her bandages, packing her wounds with fresh snow, ravaging for various roots and herbs to grind into antiseptic, or mash into a nourishing stew.

She wants to go out and hunt, but he knows she isn't ready. The fire blazes at her footsteps. She stokes the flames with a long stick he left behind.

Suddenly, from the mouth of the cave comes a distant growling, dissonant noise. What the hell?

From the snow emerges a single, porcelain wolf lusus. Eyes dark and thoughtful as it peers in at her. They must have been attracted by the scent of blood and burning wood.  
She stares straight back, unafraid. She can take a single howlbeast; open wound or not.

The real trouble comes when they work in tea... Three more short-haired canine heads peek out of the snowborne hillside. Oh fuck...

The head wolf watches her; baring its teeth. She slooooowly reaches over for her claws. **Grrrrooowllls** resound against the hard walls of the cave; sowing dread deep into the pit of her stomach. Why is this bothering her?  
She should be used to this kind of thing, but her head is pounding!

More heads appear to the rear of her little welcoming party; cutting off her only means of escape. God damn it. She clutches her warclaws, and puts them on. She's not going down without a fight.

"Come on!!!" she howls at them, provocatively, "Are you gonna watch me all day, or am I gonna have to meat you furst?!?!?!?!"

She's on her feet now, trying to hold a stance, but it feels like the room is dancing laps around her. The head wolf is getting closer. He prowls, lowly, pads sinking into the warm earth.  
"I'm not afraid of you!!!!! I eat beasts like you fur breakfast!!!!!"

The wolves behind are getting antsy... A few start howling into the open sky. They're only a few feet away now. Not long until they rush her.  
  
She won't give them that chance.

" _RAAARARRAAUUUAAAAUUAGHGHGGHGGGGHHGH!!!!!_ " She charges at them, claws fully bared, as they rush to meet her in the middle. She tries to slash at the leader, but he's too fast; dodging to the left. Another comes from behind him, leaping for her throat. She turns hard on her heels to catch him in midair, but her flank screams out in protest; bloodying her fresh bandages. She barely recovers, turning in time to meet his maw with the serrated edge of Zillyhoo metalware.The claws rake into the skin, slicing his muzzle to ribbons, before tossing him aside.

No room for celebration, as another barrels behind him, aiming to HOSHIT MY FUCKING LEG!!!  
"Yow!!!!!" She kicks away at the large howlbeast making her ankle its chewtoy, as the third wolf buries its crown into the pit of her stomach; knocking her onto the ground.

She tears a new mouth in its side for all its trouble, then using its carcass as a flail, incapacitates the three rushing directly behind him.  
Right. Gotta keep the distance.

She turns back to the blood-spattered leader just in time to catch him lunging for her leg again. No!!! _Bad_ ~~howlbeast!~~ ...Howlbeasts?

She swipes for his head, but meets nothing but air, as he partakes in the tender meat of her calf.  
"No!!!" She goes to carve him again, but another wolf has her arm by the sleeve. Others are approaching fast.

More teeth bury into the leathery hide of her shoulder, and flank. She pulls her right arm easily through the over-sized sleeves, and disembowels an encroaching aggressor. Blood spills onto her chest and torso as she spins acrobatically, wrenching her legs and arms free.

She lands deftly on all fours.

Her breath is ragged. Her brow is hot. Her mind is quiet. Her heart beats slow.  
She starts to lunge for the exit, but something gives out in her abdomen. Her fall lands hard onto her left side, jostling her still-healing ribs, and the shock sends her into a coughing fit; leaving her defenseless for the howlbeasts to feast on her tender entrails. A couple go for her side, teeth tearing ravenously into the cloth bandages, and undoing all his hard work... No. It can't end this way.

She hisses aloud, tears pricking at her eyes; startling the lusus with a slight yelp, and causing it to be perturbed enough to back away momentarily. Another quickly takes its place, digging furiously. There's not too many layers of bindings left now. She's never going to see him again.

Between sobs, she faintly calls out in pain, and regret, to any god or horrorterror unlucky enough to be listening.  
"No... please.. _Hic!_ Not like this... _**hi-** Hic!!_ I..." Her thoughts wander to Karkat. What will he see when he returns to this cave, with roots and wood in hand. Will he find her in pieces..? Blood trailing from the mouth of the cave to reveal her guts pored out onto the ground before her like some kind of masochistic cornocopia?  
"I.... _hic!_ I'm.." Or will he find her bones picked clean, scattered along the walls of the caves amidst the bodies of the fallen beasts slain in her final act of desperation?  
"I'm not..... I..." What will he think of her, now that she's gone? Will he think she hates him, after all this time? Will he think he's failed her some how? You're sure you've failed him... You let everyone down..  
" _H- **hiic!!**_ ...please....I'm not ready.." You regret everything. All that time wasted in anger and betrayal, and here you are; dead by the hands of your own prey. You missed your chance...  
"I.. I'm so-- sorry..." You wasted everything on a silly little grudge. He came around, and you didn't want to hear it. You wouldn't even be out here if you'd just let him in. Of COURSE that self-effacing idiot's going to fight a lusus for you! You're the reason this all happened. This is all your fault.  
The head lusus saunters into your field of vision, bringing all the others to a hush as it slowly trounces up to your body, watching you with a sneer in his eye. You writhe in agony and pain. The snout is almost touching your throat. You can feel its breath on your skin. Your heart beats erratically. Your stomach is tight with fear. Your teeth grit in anxiety. It opens its mouth for the killing blow.  
  
" _ **KARKAT!!!!!**_ "

Your eyes wrench shut. You feel the pressure of its bite on your throat; the sweet embrace of warm blood on your skin; the sting of pain as the claws tear into your flesh, and then nothing. Everything starts to peel away. You don't feel anything, but... you hear.

You can hear everything! You hear howls and yelps of victory as a group undoubtedly gorges on your toned, lithe body. You hear growls and pants as they play for succession after a successful hunt. You hear Karkat's voice calling out to you... Calling out your name.

 

"Wait,... Karkat?" you say out loud, opening your eyes to see the severed head of the alpha howlbeast staring into yours. "What...?" Looking over you see the littered corpses of about a dozen other lusii scattered around you, and a troll standing tall; two blood-soaked sickles in each hand, sucking in deep, hearty breaths, as the rest of the group run off with tails between their legs.

"Nepeta..." he sighs, pulling his heavy woolen facemask off to reveal the face you've come to know as The One and Only Karkat Vantas. He walks over to you, cradling your face in his hands. "Oh god, I was so worried..... Are you okay?!"

"Karkat--?!? I....." You're more than a little stunned as he pulls out a rag to wipe up all the tears and blood from your cheeks.  
He starts crying a bit. "Nepeta, Oh god!! I thought I'd lost you for a minute there!!!! I don't know what I'd do..." As he trails off, your eyes begin to well up as well. "Oh, Karkat... I thought--! _hi-Hic!!_ ...Oh, god..... I thought I was dying!!!!!"

He just holds you close, and wraps his arms around you like you've never been held before... It hurts your shoulders and bite marks, but you almost don't even mind. You're not sure if you'd forgive him to EVER let go.


End file.
